Until It Beats No More
by Neko Hoshi Hime Okami
Summary: Sakiko didn't want to be treated like the others that get injured. MomoxOC


Until It beats No More

**Well I was listening to Jennifer Lopez and I got the idea in my mind. Also, I was working on Miyuki-ice-fox's graduation present because I don't have enough money to buy her anything and I had three sketch books laying around so I decided to use one for it. So this goes to her; I don't own Prince of tennis!**

Her sapphire eyes closed, her head tilted back to take in the rays that were being offered to her by the sun. The warm kisses of the sun felt good to her cream skin because of a chill that was in her body. It wouldn't leave her, even when she put on her hoodie.

Opening her eyes, she looked around and turned her attention to the door that was a few feet away. It burst open, scaring her almost. Watching the two figures come storming out, she sighed. The peace she was looking for was gone because she knew that Kaido Kaoru and Momoshiro Takeshi were fighting over something again. She didn't really care about it anymore except for when they decided to knock her lunch over a few months ago.

Growling at the memory, Sakiko took a bite of her bento. It tasted good but she was wanting something spicy. She might even bug her mother enough to make something spicy for dinner since she was in the mood. Sighing, she took another bite and hoped that class would finish and let her just sit out of cross country conditioning again.

"I hate this." The dirty blond grumbled as she packed the rest of her lunch away. She wasn't hungry because of that now familiar ache in her leg, making her look at the outstretched limb. Rolling her eyes at the memory, she got up the best she could and kicked up the crutches that were sitting alongside the fence. Setting the cloth in her teeth, she started to hobble toward the door when a yelp escaped her.

Growling in frustration as she laid on the ground, glaring at it as her leg continued to ache, she looked over finally. The green eyes that were focused on her made her narrow her eyes and bat at him with a free crutch. "Get off me Kaido-kun!"

He hurried off and bowed before turning his glare to his classmate that was laughing at the entire thing. "Baka!"

Momoshiro shrugged off the simple insult. He just thought it was funny that his classmate made a fool of himself in front of a girl that was in their class also.

Picking herself up, she hissed at the pain that was hitting her in waves. It made her want to get to the infirmary to find something with the nurse's help to get rid of the pain. Sighing as she trudged on, picking up her bento box when she found it, she walked down the steps the best she could.

It bothered her that she had to do this everyday. It hurt to have to explain it to people that didn't know what was going on then hear them talk behind her back. They thought she was faking it but she wasn't. The scar said it all; she wasn't joking about the wound that she got from pushing herself as hard as she could. It was to make her team proud and win once more but in the end she made them concern over her.

Sighing as she walked into her classroom, she looked around and avoided some of the stares that she got from her leg. Hopping over with the help of the crutches, she sat down at her desk and stared out the window. She didn't feel like going to the infirmary and explaining why she harmed her leg again. She didn't want anyone to get in trouble, especially someone that was important to the boys' tennis team.

Closing her eyes and feeling the slight embrace of the wind, Sakiko wanted the last classes to end so she could go outside. She had to sit out but that didn't really bother her. The feel of the team, being with the people that she was friends with, was the best thing that she enjoyed.

When the bell rang and people rushed into the room before the teacher, she opened her sapphire eyes to stare at the dry erase board that already had notes on it. Flipping open her notebook, she started on the notes in some hope to be ahead and just listen to the teacher instead of having to multitask like most classes.

Writing the last as she listened to her sensei, Sakiko sighed a little. Reaching over and rubbing her leg that was bandaged heavily, she felt a wetness on it. She knew what the liquid was, it was a familiar thing because that was all she saw when she found out she had to undergo surgery to set her leg correctly.

"Takada-chan care to read the next passage for us?"

Taking a breath and letting it out as a sigh, she stood up the best she could. She hated being handicapped. People trying to help her – even if it was a good thing – she didn't like it as much as her mother said she would. She wasn't a baby or anything else. Nodding, she grabbed the book and flipped to the right page before starting to read it in the English that she knew so far.

When the bell rang once more, she sighed heavily. One more class then she be able to be outside and enjoy the fresh air. She would be away from people that she couldn't stand, namely Kaido and Momoshiro.

The thought of the indigo eyed tennis player, she wanted to shrug off the hate that she had for him at the moment. She envied him. He played a game – or so she heard – against a freshman with a sprained ankle. She, however, couldn't do anything but cheer on her team. When the stitches did come out, she'll have to push herself more to get her leg back to the way it was prior to the injury.

The last class hour was boring because of the thought of fresh air and spending time with her teammates was filling her mind. Every now and then her mind would turn to the day that she injured herself so bad that she wanted to scream out in pain as she remembered that paroxysm that seemed to echo through all her being. Rubbing her leg again, she kept her gaze on the teacher as he lectured about a biology project that was coming up.

"Takada-chan do you need to go to the infirmary?"

"No sensei." It was almost a meek answer to her with the attention turned to her. Catching a few students in front of her glance back, she dragged her gaze to the window. She prayed that it would heal faster so she wouldn't be the center of attention like she was now.

Hearing the dinging sound, telling her to wait until everyone else was out of the room before going to her own locker, Sakiko gathered her things. Sighing as she set them in a pile, she looked up and met the familiar indigo eyes that she glared at earlier for the antics he was doing. "What is it Momoshiro-kun?"

He hated his full surname being used. Everyone knew that, especially when he corrected them. He shrugged that annoyance off and grabbed her things before she could protest against the actions. "Come on."

"I can get my own things thank you very much." The azure eyed teen stated calmly even if she wanted to jab him with one of the crutches. Glaring as she followed him, she led him down the right hallway afterwards.

"I don't think so. Not with your hands being occupied by those things. Do you have any clubs you have to go to?" Momo questioned as he looked down at the shorter teen that was pulling and putting books back. Seeing her get her regular shoes on, he caught sight of the sapphire eyes that looked at him quickly.

"The cross country team. That's all I have to go to, even if I have to sit out." Sakiko grumbled at the thought of just sitting there and watching her friends have the time of their lives.

"Okay. Let's go."

Rolling her azure eyes, the dirty blond followed after him as he carried her books that she had to bring home to study. She didn't want to think about the pain that was going through her body, reminding her that she could only take so much before letting it take her over.

Momoshiro looked up at the clear sky, taking in the blue that hung overhead. "So what are you going to be doing after this?"

"None of your concern. You have your own team to take care of." Sakiko added with a shrug as she stopped in front of the team that she loved so much.

"So what made you join the cross country team?"

"I wanted to. That's all. Now get out of here." She hissed as she grabbed her things from his arms and sat down with a huff.

"Okay."

When she thought he was a good distance away, Sakiko looked back at the ebony haired teen that was a regular on the team that he was on. Like she thought, she didn't really hate him for what he did during lunch hour. She was just pissed off at herself for being in the way. Rolling her eyes and leaned back against the chainlink fence that kept people from falling off the bleachers, she stared at her team.

"So are you seeing Momo-chan now?" A voice asked, making the young woman turn to meet the mud brown ones that were smiling at her. It was Sango, one of the freshman that was on the team.

"No." It was a simple answer, which was all. It did bother her though that there was nothing between her and the tennis player. Her heart wanted more, as if to make her feel a little more human instead of someone in pain all the time.

Hissing a little, she stretched her leg out and undid the bandages that were wrapped around it. The crimson spot seemed to grow each time she unrolled it more. Looking over at Sango, she saw nothing of the younger teen and shrugged it off. Once over with that, Sakiko stared at the slightly bleeding line that stretched from below her knee to almost her ankle. Shaking her head, she didn't see how she could walk with that kind of injury.

"Here."

Looking up, gauze was shoved into her face. Grabbing it and seeing the steel blue eyes that were focused on her, she noticed that hardness that were in them. Hikaru didn't like people for some reason and she wasn't sure how many times she tried to be friends with the auburn haired teen. "Thanks Hikaru-chan."

"Whatever."

That desire to strike up a conversation with the teen came but she held her tongue. She had a feeling that her teammate was having a bad day or something but she always looked like that. Wrapping her leg once more, she listened to her captain's instructions that were turned to her other teammates that were able to do something.

With it finished and wrapped up, Sakiko stared at the team that was running laps and conditioning themselves for the upcoming meet. She wanted to be up there with them, talking and laughing like they were but she couldn't. She blamed pushing herself to help get points for her team and going over the edge like she did. Sighing, the sapphire eyed teen let another breath escape as a huff as she rested her chin on her hand.

"You must be bored?"

Looking over, she tried to glare at the tennis regular that helped her with her books. Shaking her head, she tried to looked back at her team that was being ordered to push themselves a little more. "What do you think Momoshiro-kun?"

"Call me Momo-chan." The second year corrected finally.

"I can call you anything I want to call you as long as it isn't an insult. Buchou wouldn't like that." Sakiko retorted as she took in the sound of footsteps on the metal steps. Seeing him sit down next to her, she looked over. "Why are you here? I thought you had your own practice."

"I do but it's not my turn yet. Tezuka-buchou wouldn't mind if I miss Echizen and Taka-san's practice game." Momoshiro said with a slight shrug. He was going to hear about it from his sempai. He knew it because Tezuka was that type of person to let a person know that he wasn't happy with them.

Leaning back, he watched the team that was almost co-ed at times, he smiled. "So how did you hurt yourself?"

"I was running a meet a while back and tripped. I broke my leg because of a rock that was sticking up. That's how."

"So you had to get surgery I'm guessing?"

"You got it." Sakiko answered. It was painful because she didn't want to think about the painful day that she had to go through. The worry that was filling her friends' faces made her bow her head. "Hey Momoshiro-kun."

"Hm?"

"In a few weeks, there's a dance going on for the summer, do you think you can go with me?" She asked. It was one in a million shot to have him go with her. The thought of rejection hit her but yelped when she was pulled over by him. Looking around and staring in the violet eyes, she couldn't smile.

"That's fine with me." Momoshiro chimed with a smile that finally spread to the young woman with him. "It's a date."

**I worked on this for a few days because I got caught up in Yearning for the Same. Gomen. Please review, or give some form that you enjoyed this.**


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